Finding Hope
by psycotroll
Summary: The X-men find hope on Christmas Eve


Logan watched absently as his fogged breath rose from his lips and was carried away in the crisp winter breeze. He unconsciously pulled his jacket a little tighter and squeezed his fists ass he jogged around yet another bend in the road. His sensitive ears picked up the loud smack of his heavy-soled boots against the pavement, hitting in a steady rhythm that let him keep his pace. He grumbled quietly to himself about the big fuss that the others were making over the fact that it was Christmas Eve. Of course he couldn't totally deny that he too enjoyed Christmas, but shopping for hours on end in packed malls, being crushed by sweaty, smelly, loud, and rude people, all trying to get the rest of their presents in the last day before Christmas was too much. He was thankful that he had even been able to get back out at all, that fact that he didn't have to kill anyone to do it was a miracle unto itself. Logan snapped back to the present with a jolt as his hearing picked up the squealing of tires just as a car came speeding towards him. With lightning reflexes, he dodged to the side and the car missed him by mere inches as it swerved madly across the road, managing to spray him with dirty, melting snow. Fortunately he had managed to jump out of he way just in time and stopped to glare after the receding vehicle, his claws extending on reflex. "Hey bub, watch it!" he called after it angrily, holding his claws up in a challenge that matched his yell. But the car had already disappeared around the corner and he was left feeling even angrier. "You'd think with all this good will goin' around, people'd watch where they were goin'" he grumbled as he turned back the way he had been heading. He didn't know how he could have been so distracted as to not notice the car earlier, but that had been pretty much the mood of his entire day.   
  
He had been in a bad mood when he had gotten up this morning and things had only gotten worse since. He had woken up way too early and had gone to bed way too late, especially right after another bout with some villain of the week or another, they were all starting to run together. He hadn't been able to get nearly enough sleep in the past month and it was starting to take its toll, even on him. After that he had gone to the hall bathroom and had just been ready to open it when it came swinging open and smashed him in the face. With his healing factor his broken nose had fixed itself pretty quickly, but it still didn't help his mood. Of course Kitty had apologized profusely until he had grumbled that it was okay and worked his way quickly towards the kitchen. When he got there he had opened the fridge in the hopes of finding some chow, only to be greeted by the fact that Gambit obviously hadn't gone shopping like he was supposed to. Logan had slammed the refrigerator door closed, grabbed his jacket and taken his bike out to a good little joint he knew about a few blocks away. When he got there he had nearly shattered the windows when he saw the 'Closed' sign hanging in the window. Deciding in favor of a bar instead, he had hopped back on the bike and sped off to the nearest place that had peanuts and beer. Fortunately he had found an okay little spot and managed to somewhat calm his ground nerves by washing down a few nice cold beers. That was, until he got into a bar fight and gotten thrown out. Hey, it wasn't his fault that the guy had tried to take over his seat, he should have known better. Finally, with mounting anger and frustration he had sped his way back to the X-mansion. He had stormed inside none too quietly, loudly stomping and shaking off the snow that had started to fall on his way back.   
  
He had found the others lounged around, a pot of coffee sitting invitingly on the heater. He had been sure to pour himself as much as possible and washed it don in almost on gulp. Of course Logan didn't think things could get much worse, and he still needed to get presents, so he had decided it would be a nice time to go shopping. He had gone to the mall in the hopes that he would be late enough to miss the main rush and get in and out pretty fast. Unfortunately, he had been sadly mistaken, the mall had been so crowded that he could barely move from one store to another. He had had to shove his way pat several reluctant people and had still managed to take over four hours to shop for a little over a dozen people. His feet were constantly healing what probably would have been a multitude of bruises and welts. When he had finally managed to escape the horrors of the mall he had been promptly sentenced to spend the next forty-five minutes caught in a slow-motion traffic jam. The only reason he figured he had managed to get out in forty-five minutes probably had something to do with cutting across those yards by the road. When he had once again arrived back at the mansion, even angrier and more snow covered than before, he had startled everyone into silence as he slammed the door so hard that it literally flew off the hinges and into the yard. He had been making his way expertly towards the stairs with his piles of gifts when his foot had caught onto the box that someone had left in the floor and he and the packages went flying. He had just laid there a moment as he heard the sound of his parcels hitting the ground, at least until he heard the one he had been dreading. His savage roar had echoed the crash of shattering glass as he leapt to his feet, unsheathing his claws and looking around desperately for anything to slash. He had finally decided on the banister, which was nothing but splinter and toothpicks in mere seconds. Still growling, though more quietly now, he gathered up his packages, including the one that had broken and lugged them gracelessly up the stairs and into his room. He had just been ready to settle down for a nice, long nap when Scott's commanding voice buzzing through his communicator had caught his attention.   
  
He had stormed over to where had tossed it earlier and grabbed it roughly. "What is it Cyke?" he demanded menacingly. "I need everyone down here in the living room. Now" came the unwavering reply. Logan had groaned internally and externally his growl had raised another few decibels. With a careless shove he threw the communicator back onto his bed. It hit the bed hard ricochet into the wall with a resounding thud. Logan grimaced slightly at the assaulting sound and turned with a fluid grace towards the living room. He took the steps three at a time on his way down, absently noting that someone had cleaned up the remains of the banister already. When he slid into the room to join the others, he was more than a little surprised by what he saw there. As he looked around he thought that everyone else looked like their day had been just about as wonderful as his. Grim faces and clenched jaws all around. But the person that stood out to him the most was Rouge; her normally cheerful features were contorted into a mean scowl, her jaw muscles flexing noticeably and her hands clenching and unclenching so hard that she had managed to work holes in the tips of her gloves. He didn't know what had turned the normally serene Rouge into the one he saw now, and he wasn't sure he wanted to. His head whipped around at the sound of Scott clearing his throat. "Well, I'm glad you're all here now so I'll cut straight to the point. I can tell from looking at you now and from our experiences in the past month or so, that you are all pretty stressed. I've decided that maybe he one thing we could do to help ease away the tension, and that needs to be done anyway, is to begin putting out our Christmas decorations. I have a list of different jobs for everybody…" Scott looked up to study the faces around him carefully, his eyes lingering on the especially worse-for-wear Logan and Rouge, before continuing, mostly to himself "Which I think may need a little revising". He held up the paper again and sighed regretfully, almost as in fear of his life, before continuing with the different assignments. "Bobby, you've got sculptures. Hank, Warren, and Jean, lights. Gen X hang up the decorations inside. Nightcrwaler, Storm, and Gambit start on the Christmas Eve dinner for tonight. Psyloc and Bishop, sorry guys, but you've got shopping" he paused a moment to see how everyone was reacting. He felt a shudder go down his spine as he caught the look he was getting from the two, as yet, unassigned members and the two he had assigned to shopping, right before Bishop marched up to snatch the shopping list ruthlessly from where it was sitting on the table. He glanced back towards Rouge and Wolverine, trying his hardest to feign a smile. "All right guys, all that's left is getting the tree. Just get one and come right back so that we can decorate it". The two of them glanced at each other briefly as if checking to make sure it was alright with the other. Wolverine glanced back at Scott with a hard glare. "And what're ya gonna be doin?" he grunted. Scott shrugged, "Helping with everything I can" he admitted. Logan's only reply was another deep grunt followed by the stomping of feet and slamming of the recently re-installed door. He supposed that it was good that Rouge hadn't been the one that closed it, he really hadn't enjoyed replacing the door Logan had broken off.   
  
Logan and Rouge had briefly considered buying a tree, but had decided it would be less stressful, maybe even relaxing, if they went and got one themselves. They figured that Wolverine could use his claws to cut it down while Rouge carried it back. Wolverine had suggested that she go fly ahead and he would meet up with her in the small woodlands not too far away that had plenty of good Christmas trees. He had known that Rouge would probably spend some time just flying in order to help herself loosen up, much like he had decided to jog. So now here he was, standing on the side of the road, drenched and even angrier than he had been. Fortunately he was just nearing the edge of the woodlands and would hopefully be able to chop one down and deliver it so that he could just lie down and sleep through the rest of the holiday. He shook himself off loosely, feeling his growl begin to rise once again. When he ducked below the first branch along the tree line, he felt more at peace almost instantly. This was his natural environment, it was where he belonged, and it always carried with it a certain serenity. He was just starting t feel a little more at ease when he heard Rouge's distinct call. "LOGAN!!!" it echoed loudly through the woods, making him snap to alertness immediately. He lifted his nose to the air and sniffed experimentally. He quickly caught the southerner's distinct smell in the wind and took off at a heedless run. While he was running he continued to test the air and soon found another, fainter, foreign scent. As he neared the woman he could neither see nor smell or hear any obvious signs of threat and slowed to a very irritated stop. "Well, what is it darlin?" he demanded impatiently. "Logan, Ah'm so glad ya're here. I was up flyin' and I saw somethin' down here. It looked kinda like a little yella an' white thang, but Ah saw it move a little. Now Ah can't find it though. Do ya think ya could, maybe, help me look for it?" came Rouge's uneasy reply. He considered refusing for a moment, but he saw that she looked fairly concerned and not quite as angry, and Logan knew not to waste a good thing. "Alright darlin, I'll see what I can do". He motioned for her to be quite and stood stark still where he was, hoping to catch any sign of anything else. Once again his nose caught that faint smell and his ears picked up the ever-so-slight shift of leaves, even though there was barely a breeze.   
  
As he investigated further, studying the smell, he could tell that it wasn't far away, as he'd originally thought, but rather just a faint smell, like when something was freeing and slowly losing it's scent. He motioned again, this time for Rouge to follow him, and together they followed where his nose led him. He finally led them to a small pile of leaves where the scent seemed to be coming from. "Whatever it is, it's 'round here somewhere" he said, as an afterthought he added, "and it's diein'". Together, the two of them began to shift the leaves gently aside, not wanting to miss anything. Just when Wolverine was starting to give up, he heard Rouge's surprised gasp. "My gawd" she whispered so silently that he had trouble hearing her. He quickly joined her at her side where she was lifting something, that he couldn't yet make out over her shoulder, up from the leaves. As soon as he saw what she was holding he felt himself freeze in place for a moment, unable to move or speak, barely able to think. For, cradled gently in Rouge's arms, was a tiny, helpless infant. It didn't make a sound as she held it, not a whimper or a cry and both feared the worst. "Who the hell'd leave a kid out here all by itself, and in the middle o' the winter" he growled, looking at one of the most beautiful babies he had ever seen. It's hair was already coming out in a thick, black fuzz, its skin was nearly as pale as the snow around it, and its eyes were the most beautiful sapphire blue, shining with an emotion that was long forgotten to Logan. Instantly he immensely despised whoever would be cold-hearted enough to leave their child out here to die. "Logan, we gotta get this back to tha mansion before somethin' happens to it" Rouge replied after a moment. "Darlin, I think somethin's already happened to it, but maybe Hank can fix 'er up. Fly 'er up to the mansion real quick 'fore it's too late" he ordered. Rouge nodded her agreement and was in the sky before he knew it, flying faster than he had thought she could, straight towards the mansion.   
  
He watched her disappear into the distance before he took off in a run, never slowing until he reached the mansion. As he ran by, he saw that Bobby looked like he had eased up into his normal self. It looked as though he had started to follow Scott's carefully made list of ice sculptures of miniature angels and such before they had progressed into heroic sized statues of all the different X-Men. But Logan barely noticed this as he ran past, almost running into Jean who was intently focused on stringing some lights up along the roof. He just grunted a rushed apology and sprinted right to the door. He flung the door open roughly, not bother to close it as he headed towards the medlab where Rouge and the kid should already be.   
  
When he finally fell into the room he saw the big blue man known as Hank McCoy, or more often, Beast, leaning delicately over the tiny infant while Rouge stood nearby, nearly sizzling with nervousness. At Logan's none-to-quiet entrance Beast looked up and smiled amiably. "I have heard that you were also party to the discovery of this hard-tell infant?" he asked rhetorically. Logan nodded, "Yeah, Rouge an' I found it out in the woods. How's it?" he asked immediately. Beast smiled even more as he put away the instrument he had been using. "I am happy to say, my dear Logan, that our small friend shall only require a small treatment for hypothermia and a bit of frostbite. However had you lost any more time, we may have lost her as well". Rouge and Logan both looked genuinely relieved. Hank turned back to his instruments with a silent chuckle. He didn't think that Logan even realized how he looked. The usually gruff Canadian was nearly jumping around like a nervous mother.   
  
Suddenly something dawned on Rouge. "Hank? You said it was a she?" she asked carefully. "Indeed" another voice added from the doorway. The trio turned in surprise to face their founder, mentor, and friend, Professor Charles Xavier. He smiled up at them. I am quite relieved that the child will survive, but she does present somewhat of a problem. Hank turned thoughtfully, picking up on the professor's chain of thought. "Yes. I suppose we must consider what we shall do with the fair babe once she is well again" he mused. Rouge and Logan both straightened slightly. "Ah don' suppose there's anyway she could stay with us?" Rouge asked quietly but hopefully. Logan himself seemed to look slightly hopeful and the raw emotion he could plainly see and feel coming from the two gave him cause to consider. He paused a moment before nodding slowly. "I suppose, that since the others do not yet know of the child it would be only proper to hold a meeting and vote on what we should do", he answered slowly and thoughtfully. Everyone seemed to find that a suitable answer for the time being and in turn each considered. When they were finished Hank motioned to the table where the baby girl still lay silently. "I think it would be wise to allow the member in question to obtain some share of rest before our gathering. The professor nodded in agreement, although he already knew that Logan and Rouge had no intention of leaving until the meeting.  
  
Finally the professor thought it was as good a time as any and sent out his mental call for everyone to join him in the living room, what he hoped would be a slightly more comfortable surrounding than their usual meeting room. As soon as everyone was gathered, everyone but Beast, Rouge, and Wolverine that was the professor began to silence thee weary group. "Where are Logan and Rouge?" Scott demanded in irritation. "Do not worry Scott, they are not present for a reason, as I will explain momentarily" the room fell into immediate silence as everyone stood, or sat, at complete attention. Professor Xavier took a deep breath before he began. "My fellow X-men" he started carefully, "I have called you all here for a purpose, although not what you believe it to be. Today I believe that Scott was responsible for the assignments that you each were given to follow. As you know, Rouge and Logan were to retrieve our Christmas tree" "Which they never did" Scott muttered under his breath. Professor Xavier shot him a stern look before continuing. "While they were exploring the woodlands for a suitable tree, they happened upon something rather unusual". Instantly the professor felt the tension and anticipation rise in the room. "Would you please come in now" Xavier asked over his shoulder. Everyone watched with rapt attention as the three missing X-men entered, as well as the small child that Rouge held close to her chest. Gambit whistled softly and several muted whispers flew among the group. Xavier let them discuss this for a moment before he continued. "They brought her back here just in time to save her from freezing. But as I'm sure you can imagine, this raises a slight difficulty. We must decide what must be done with the child. Therefore, I have called you all together so that we may decide as a team what shall become of her.   
  
There was another wave of murmuring and the professor waited patiently until it had died down. "Very well, I believe it is time we decided". Jubilee stood up first, without hesitation. "I think we should keep her. I mean, she's all alone right now and the least we can do is offer her a home where she'll have all of us to protect her" she said certainly. Kitty glanced over at the other assembled Gen X member and looked back up intently. "Jubes speaks for all of us" she agreed. Xavier nodded and looked over at Bishop. Bishop looked slightly disturbed as he spoke, "I do not think there is a home for a child here. There is too much danger and too much responsibility. I say no". Psylock glanced at Bishop briefly, "I agree with Bishop, this is no place for a child". Warren looked torn as he considered, but ass most had expected, he agreed with Betsy. Next was Gambit, "I tink dat da lil' one got a good chance wit de X-men. As good as she do anywhere else. Afta all, what if she a mutant too?". This made several people think for another moment, to reconsider their votes. Storm nodded slowly, "Yes I believe that there is perhaps something we can do for the child, even should she happen not to be a mutant". One by one the others put in their votes until only Scott and Jean remained. Scott stood stiffly as he gave his deliberate answer. "I don't think that we could give the proper care a child requires when we are constantly fighting and away on missions. There would be no family and constant danger, I don't think that we should condemn a child to that". All eyes were now focused on Jean, although most people already suspected her answer. She shocked them all when her answer when it came. "I vote we keep her. After all, we are one of the few groups of people that can help her find her past, should she ever want to. And if Scott and I can raise a child in an alternate timeline, why can't we all raise one here?".   
  
Beast pulled out a notepad no one had noticed before and flashed around for everyone to see, "By these votes, our dear child shall stay, by a vote of 70%" he announced happily, as he had voted to keep the little girl. "Now then, I suppose we should address the next matter" Xavier pressed. Everyone looked at him quizzically before he smiled and gave a short bark of laughter. "Well now, surely you don't expect us to call her 'child' all her life" he said with a sly smile. The others laughed lightly and each fell into their own thoughts for a name. As Logan sat thinking, his mind drifted back to the first moment he had seen her cradled gently in Rouge's arms, the expression he had seen in her eyes that he could not name at thee time. Now, it came back to him with certainty. "Hope" he said aloud, unintentionally, and breaking the thoughtful silence. Several of the others looked up with a slow sort of agreement, but it was Storm who spoke first, "Indeed a meaningful name. She is for us a sign of hope. Living against the odds and staying here despite the danger. She should always carry that honor with her. All in favor?" she asked. One by one hands went up until once again only Scott remained. "I just 'hope' we don't regret this" he spoke with a small smile as he raised his hand to join the others. After a brief silence the air was filled with a chorus of boos and hisses at Scott's attempt at a joke and the heavy mood was lifted as everyone, laughed and joked happily the Christmas joy finally filling them. Bobby glanced to where the three should have been out of the corner of his eye and with a happy smile he carefully shaped a beautiful ice tree. Everyone laughed and smiled as they grabbed decorations and ran to hang them on the slightly drippy ice-tree. As an after thought, Scott focused hi optic blast only enough to light the inviting wood in the fireplace. As everyone settled down into their assorted chairs and spots, taking pleasure in the Christmas spirit, Hank bounded in once again with hot chocolate for everyone. Everyone raised their mugs in a toast, to the dream, to the struggle, and to Hope. Then they began, together, to sing some of their favorite carols, Bobby and some of the others using their own lyrics. As their voices and laughter filled the night air, snow began to fall in a steady, gentle blanket and Professor Xavier knew that it truly was Christmas.   



End file.
